The Sun. — London, England, 1810-01-12 00:00:00

• • .• Y ' t ON A BAPY," WHO• 1$ 5A1D;T0..14;% f,EAT 11 . 1,3 t 11V5,84. Come hither, Sir john, see, my porkraitit here, Look at it' my love t: ;•tion't .46ike ypµ? can't say it does, just at .presept,, my dear r But I dare say it will—'tis sq'fikriPou., BATTLE OF 4LBLI DE TOIMIJS. LETTER FROM A BhITISH OFFICER OF RANK, AT TACHED TO THE DUKE DEL FiEQUE'S.ARMY. • "El Radon, Dec. 4, on. [After describing the movements of the several columns of the Spaoish army from the 13th Novem ber till the 23d, and some insignificant skirmishes. between the light fro ps of the respective armies, the letter continues :—] " About one o'clock on the morning of the 23d, we learned .that the enemy occupied Medina-del Campo, in force 2000 cavalry and 8000 infantry, and that their advanced guards were pushed forward a league in front of that town ; in consequence of which information we moved forward, and occupied a position close to the village -of Carpio, situated upon the onty.nsing, ground on these extensive plainS, over which the view is uninb erupted and limited only by the horizon. Our troops were drawn up in the following order : " The vanguard, commanded by Gen. Carrera, was stat:oned for the defence of the village of - Carpio ; the 3d division, commanded by Gen. Bal lasteros, having its lett supported by the town of Carpio, formed the right of our first line, of which the cavalry formed the left ; the artillery of the two divisions, and the flying artillery,• were posted in the front; and the first and second divisions, in co lumn of attack, formed the second line, about 400 paces in rear of the first ; the sth division remained as d reserve, on a small height to the rear. Our light troops, being charged by a body of 700 horse, fell back. • • - " The enemy continued to move slowly forward his columns of cavalry (supported by two guns and a howitzer), apparently with the intention of wait ing the arrival of his infantry, or for the purpose of reconnoitring our force ; to ascertain winch he de tached parties of cavalry in all directions on our flanks. About one o'clock P. M. we received orders to act on the Offetisive, and attack the enemy, then halted auoUt three quarters of a league from our positjon.. The vanguard advanced to the attack forniedt in - an echellon line of battalions; the third and first divisions advanced in columns of attack, the former,on the right, and the latter on the lett of the vanguard ; the second division was formed as a reserve in rear of the centre of the line ; the fifth division remained in Carpio.' • The cavalry formed ChSse in rear of the battalions in echellon.--=. The enemy, on the approach of our line, COMM:IIC.. ed his rerreat, which he etieded in the greatest or covered by his ilrtillery, occasionally halting and Charging our advanced light troo,,s, who, being unsupported by our cavalry, sustamed some loss.— .. The . Vanguare, first division, aild artillery, upheld their farmer reoratiOn, by the gallantry with which they adVanced n and repulse the enemy's cavalry ; and the ad OlvisiC.l(Astutians) received the univer sal and well-merited applause of the army, lor the intrepidity: Which they displayed,, in receiving at the point of the bayonet the charge of the enemy's ca.- valry. Gll. Ballasteros, with his Staff and light Coops, pushed forward to attack a body of the ene my's-cavalry, which immediately charged him; and not receiving that proteetiOn or co-operation which be expected from our cavalry, this gallant little band was obliged to retreat. •- " At the close of the day the enemy reached Medina del Campo. Understanding that the enemy had 8000 infantry .and 800 cavalry, which had nut entered into action, and perceiving that they - had placed upon a rising ground, which commanded our approach to the town, nine' guns, three of which were howitzers, which commenced a heavy fire upon our columns, the General in Chief gave orders to suspend the attack, and that the . troops should return to their position of Carpio, to receive pro visions, having. been upwards of thirty hours with out foo4l At twelve o'clock the same nOit the enemy evacuated Medina del Campo, retreating two leagues.. On the 25th, the enemy pushed forward from Medina several divisions of cavalry, apparently about ' '4500 ; and• towards evening paced themsclvt-s wirhin about half a league of our line. No infantry advanced with the cavalry • • " About one o'clock on, the morning- of the 26th, _orders, were issued for immediate retreat towards Alba deTormes. A party of 270 of our cavalry, and some infantry, who had crossed the Duero, - and were in possession of the bridge of Toro, were also ordered to retfear._ • After a most fatiguing and harassing • march, during which the already exhaust ed troops - suffered extremely from cold .and hunger, wesreached Alba de,Torrnes on the morning of the • tWt. - The different divisions were quartered itf this town and the villages on the left bank of the ricer. • " About two o'clock, P. M. on the 9.Bth, a sudden alarm was spread, that the enemy was. entering the town. The drums immediately beat to arms, and the different regiments began to form, proceeding, with the General in Chief, to the heights in the front ofthe_town. Great part of the army had, however; crossed the bridge, previouS .to the General's deter mination of occnpying a position on, the right bank of the river -,-and in front of the town. The van guard.; first and -second , diysions, were drawn up on some - gently 'rising grail ds, about tiuo yards in front of the. town. The enemy advanced three strong columns of cavalry, and after repulsing our light troops; proscessed himself of a. smolly rocky hill, from whence the right Of his line might, if occupied by our infantry, have been much annOyed. The enemy advanced a column close in front of our left, in enace'd a charge on the second diVision. A timely and judicious Movement', however, of the vangbard and first (it% ision; and the firmness with he left waited his - attack, induced the enemy to vary his plan, and in consequen , :e retreated to his and dneaed his attack against the cavalry and INT LRNA L, 4trA • ir 10 Nor FILLY C \ -11 .11 • The folloWing observations may tend to expose the illusory system by which the French Government endeavours to impose on France and FA:rope, and to prove that no credit is dire to the solemn pledge which_ Buonaparte has given, of not exacting any farther sacrifices from his people, as Frenchmen must now submit 'to be called. The M inister of Btonaparte asks, it is true, from . the Legislative body, the. sums said to he necessary for the service of the current year ; these are al ways voted by way of form, and care will no doubt be taken that the budget of • this year do not exceed in appearance that of the last year. . But this vote is only the ground work on which the Mi nister has to display his dexterity. Independent of all other authority but that of his master, he writes to the different departments, that their portion of taxes amounts to so much, and this .portion is in variably larger than that of the preceding year. If this surcharge produces remonstrances, the Mi nister replies, that other Departments, without naming them, have got a diminution of taxes on account of. some disastrous circumstances ; that . the sum exatied bears a fair proportion to the total; but that, be it as it may, the Emperor must not be the loser. This maxim is the fundamental prin ciple of French Finance, and embraces all its rami fications. If a man, - crushed down by misery, leaves his land untilled, which frequently happens,_ his neighbours are obliged to pay his contributions, in addition to their own ; if a parish cannot furnish its quota, then the distria is obliged to pay. The facilities which this system furnishes to injustice are evident, bt.lt the losses it occasions are never repaired. There are, still other means of increas . ing the con tributions, without appearing to augment the fixed takes. Thus, an augmentation of near five per cent. upon this grand total, has been levied through all France, for a projealed road from Lyons to Bour deaux. With the consent of the Mercantile Body, a tax hag been laid on navigation, to render navi gable a river, ot• to improve harbours. The produce has been seized by Government, and the improve mentS have not even been attempted, though abso lutely necessary. Sixty •miserable hulls of ships obstru& the navigation of the Garonne. In a - word, there is no fund, however sacred its destination, which can be proteEted from the rapacity of the rrench Government. Another means of extorting money is by an Im perial Decree, to commute an insignificant tax into others more produaive, and more onerous. Thus the barrier. toil dues have been abolished, to give place to the consolidated duties, which establish a heavy excise on almost all the necessaries of life. In such a state of things, to speak of a just and steady system of taxation, is as supremely ridi-.. culous„ - as to expeEt truth and moderation from the well known disposition of Buonaparte. He has, besides, the resource of requisitions, and he is not. sparing of them, in order to supply the wants of his armies in Spain. He promises payment, it is , true,• and in some circumstances does pay; but then it is in the proportion of about a fourth of the article put in requisition ; though tlioe must pay the whole value, who prefer redeeming their cattle or their produce, by an equivalent in money. I The blessings of the Code of Conscripton are at present so well appreciated in this country, that we have little to add on that subject ; however, as a resource of finance, it ought not to be omitted. I Its oppression is carried so far, that the man who employs as a workman a conscript, even withont knowing him to be so, is condemned to a heavy tine, a circumstance which brings ruin on a number of persons. In one word, the whole population of fiFrance is as completely at the disposal of the despot, by a decree of the Senate, as their whole property, by a vote of the Legislative Body, and exaUly in the same way ; for the Minister at War assigns the ne cessary number of men, as the Minister of Finance fixes the proportion of taxes. These measures, in themselves so oppressive, be come still more so by the outrageous zeal of every sycoro , ant in office, who exercises his au thority with all the despotism natural to a slave in power. Such men, it is true, hate no other means of gaining promotion, or even of retaining their offices. The effeas produced in France by this system, joined to the absolute want of commerce, are such as to justify completely the asserticn, that " the bow is bent to excess :" an enormous depopulation is already so cruelly felt, that in. the fertile *ins of the Ajenois metayers t are not to he found for the ' business of agricUlture, though formerly there were not lands enough to supply the demand for !arms. We know from the official- reports, that in a large city, which we do not think it prudent to name, the 'annual list of Marriages is not one-third what it was six years ago; to which may be added, that Buonaparte is aCtually come to those classes of the population which correspond to those terrible epochs of the revolution which devoured so great a proportion of the population of France, and prevent ed its. reproduaion. He has already called out the youth born in 1790; the classes of 1791, and per haps of 170, may- still be produaive ; but after that period, his disposition will not be able to levy, from an exhausted country, recruits sufficient for his numerous armies. It is for this reason, that these last classes, which he preserves as his last resource, have not been called out to reinforce his armies in Spain, and that he has told his Senate, that 36,000 men of the preceding classes will be sufficient to fi nish the subjugation of that country. Landed property, as might be expeaed from the load of taxation, and the total want of a vent for pro duce, has suffered considerably. We are informed that in corn distrias, the lands are not of one third the value they were six years ago; while in the vine distrias, which are numerous in France, the value is even greatly below this standard.--4n these distri&s, , the ruin of the Proprietors is complete, and proba * In this country, canals and roads arc ;:Jtined 'and formed by the Proprietors,- in different districts. In France this• is done by the (government, and must necessarily be habit: to '- great abuses. Metayers are :I kind of tenants at will, and cultivate the lands for the pruprietor, who furnishes stet, cattle, tic. whi4e • they have the hilt of the rude produce; hence omit name metayers. from rmiLl. DIED. On the 27th ult. it Forres, Mr. Robert- Wardew, aged 7 On the sth inst. Mr. John Lewis, Whartinger, Uto,ces' ter'. On Monday last, in Bell's-buildings. Salisbury square! 'John Barton, jein. Esq. Solicitor, aged 38 years. On the loth inst. at Brighton, Mrs, Alia:), wife of Grad Allan, Esq. The same day, at her house at Lambeth,. Mrs. Northcuter widow of the late Henry North:2ote,.,B4. Yesterday; at his house in Newman s treet, j. D. Engle heart, late of Kew-preen. 'On Monday sennutitt, at Long . Stratton, Norfolk, aged 74 , M IY Urban, relict of the late 1),-. D'Utban, of Shoals , ham;; On Wednesday ge'nnig!,), at Melton Constable, Norfolk , in the 47th }'ear of t is :94e, George Wynsthatu, Esq. of nier, in the saict County. 4. , .•; first d io n -The& la rgeZ : tifil tWil eller:ay y ••• • rn f ' • 3 • - • was gorampeed %Olt the greateSt ardour :and lin . pettiOSity.' Vbricavalry being - very interior in arms, hoties.,lnd . 4ppeJiltinents to the enemy, which was miustt b IlliAntty equipped gaVe Way, - fetreating to the=ton, and:leayht - the first' division and 'van e • • guarfincoVeral And unpriateCted. The first di . vision received the enemy's Charge with the greatest ' firMuess, pouring upon'hirn an incessant file fire, which obliged him to retreat;to his'line, after sustain ihg a considerable loss'k the great division also suf. 'feted considerably. " The enemybeing reinfored, renewed his at tack in a solid coltdin againSt the vanguard, which was formed ;in an oblong 'squate. Previous to the charge, the ;enemy' parleyed through lire medium of one of his - Officers, who advanced for the purpose, calling out, " General,' peace—surrender." The answer of the column of Patriots, with Generals Mendizabal and Carrera at their head, maybe easily conceived. The French messenger' retired. The Patriots gave loud vivas or cheers, atideoninienced the fire, the front rank kneeling, with charged bay onets; the second division advanced in column, to . support the vanguard and Ist division, should it be necessary: The enemy thrice charged the van guard, without being able to make any serious itu pressien, and retreated, after sustaining a consider able loss. The enemy once more cotnrnenctd an attack on our left, for which he detached a party of 200 cavalry, along the, edge of the river; these, however, being kept in cheek by the sharp-shooters of the 2d division, the enemy relinquished his in tention of hazarding another charge, and therefore retreated to the main body et his force, from whence he opened a heavy but ill-directed fire of shot and shells against the different divisions. Night comieg on, and our artillery 'having crossed the bridge, orders were given for retreat. " Our retreat being across a very long and narrow bridge, embarrassed with cars, mules, and baggage, was necessarily, in some degree, disorderly The 3d and sth divisions were stationed on the heights on the left bank of the river, to saver our- retreat, which being effebed across the bridge, the entire army proceeded to retreat by ditfereet roads: 'the night being dark, and no point of rendezvous hav ing been signified to the troops, each column march ed by the toads which first presented themselves; in consequence of which a ten - wormy separation of the divisions had taken place. They Irre, however, uniting; and as we have received intelligence that different parties of the dispersed have united at Ba nos;, Bejar, &c. and are now on their march, there is no room to doubt, that in a very few days the army will be in a state to resume operations against the enemy. Our sth division garrisons Ciudad Ito drigo. it appears to have been the Duke del Parque's intention to have forced the passage of the Duero, menacing, at the same time, the points of Tordesillas, Toro, and Zamora, and capon securing the pa,sage of the river, his Excellency would, co doubt, have united his force, and proceeded by rapid marches to join his fourth division, now 'at Astorga, and thus occupy the advantageous line of position from Zamora to Leon, having. G 'Mei.) and Asturias open to his rear, from whence to draw supplies and reinforcements by the strong ?asses of Manzanare and Pajares." ST. ANNE'S, BARBADOES, Nov: 28. The active and zealous preparations making in this Island, in aid of the expedition to Guadaloupe, keep us alive, though much regret will be felt at the departure of troops, whose conduEt has endeared them to every islander. - The division- intended to embark from hence is composed of a light brigade of the Royal York Rangers ; two 'companies of rifle men. of the Royal West India Rangers; and two flank companies from the Third West India Regi ment, under the command of Lieutethin-Colonel Stuart, of the West India Rangers. - The ren dezvous, it is presumed, will be Martinique, and the Light Brigade are expected to embark in a few days, as by them is first meditated an attack on Sr. Martin's, which, it is presumed, will surrenderon the appearance of our troops, and require but few left to garrison it. I should think,the General would not run the risk of weakening his force by detaching any part of his force until the event of our attack of Guadaloupe is known, as it would probably facili tate the surrender of St. Martin's. • The Governer and Military Commandant at Guadaloupe has strengthened it by every possible means, and the most obstinate resistance will be made ; even the negroes have been armed and trained . to military discipline. The inhabitants are seriously distressed for provisions, and by the last letters received from thence, we were assured of their favourable dispo sition towards the English. The total number of troops which are to embark from this island will not exceed 1200, but the whole force, it is said, will be composed of upwards of 8000 men. And if they are all in a; high health and spirits as the troops I have mentioned, no doubt can be entertained of the result of the Expedition. We were last night visited by a tremendous hur ricane, which threw a heavy swell into the Bay, and drove the Glanzer guard ship from her moorings, on shore, together with many small craft. Every as sistance has been rendered by the military of the island to get the Glomer afloat, but without success, nor do I think she will be ever got' into deep water. We have had much boisterous weather of late, but the troops are in general healthy. The delay and • irregular arrival and departure of the packets has ex cited great anxiety in the Island, and prevented my corresponding with you so regularly as I promised.— A fleet has just hove in sight, which is thought, as the Admiral's flag.is hoisted, to convey troops from Halifax, to join our detachment. Yesterday, at noon, a man in passing along Thames -street, near the Steel-yard, was crushed against the wall by the shafts of a cart, and killed on the spot. The body was taken to the .bone-ltpuse of Allhallows the Great to be owned. PRICE OE STOCKS YES'S ER DAY. Bank Stock, 276 277 India Stock, Navy 5 per Cent .100 99 India Bonds, 28S. 275. pr. Trish 5 per Cent. Old Ann. per Lent. S 4 ' Exch. Bills, r Is. r4s. pr. per Cent. ktd. 69 ill Ornnitun, ; N. 3 per Ct. Cons.`69 • India Int Opening, 193 . Long Alin. ii 9-111016 Cons. for Openint;, 70 LONDON : P:irited by RICHARD HARRIS, of No, 4, Martlett-court, I3ow-street ; amt Published by WI LL I A A RMIc;PR SCI UPS, Sours Molton.strev. CrorvtimiCrquare. - • - At the. SuN-OvvicE, No. ti'2, Stand; wberc >idviir-asements, Orden' for the Plprr, Lette7l for the rditur, &c. E nlist be address:A heyOn! remedy; WOuld it be believed, for in' stance, and yet it is exactly and literally true, thl gn - estate estimated to be worth 1(1,00°1. sterling in 4803, has i,ioce that period necessarily oblige' the, Proprietor to contrA't a debt amounting to Fol that sum ; and this estate would not, if sold-at pre sent, bring 20001:sterling. Even, whatever was th price, t would ruin the purchasers, if war con tiont Such is the situation of all the vine countries in tit South-west of France. The -unfortunate propri(, tors, in order to exist, . to pay their taxes, and cult vate their lands, have stripped themselves of all the possessed besides. The pleasure grounds have bee broken up into culture, the woods and copses ct down, their furniture, that was not indispensahl' has been sold. Retired into the country, t hey le2 almost the same kind of life as their peasant without being able to flatter themselves with ti hope that they will be able' to save their ,propert,, from shipwreck, even in the event of a return peace. Many of them have already ceased to el tivate their vines, and even in ninny places the have permitted the little produce, which . could expel ted in such circumstances, to rot upon t plants, as not being worth the expence of g thering. It is natural to suppose, that, in a country wlie the inhabitants sutler so cruelly from the tinmea;or ed ambition of an usurper, discontent must reign. His Generals, Lind those especially of the Republica' school, loudly complain of his turbulent character which prevents them from enjoying. the fruits their first triumphs, and leaves them no other 1 •ro 5 - pea but that of death i,t a state of continental vat They are as hostile to the war of Spain as,t,he brill of the people ; they regret the loss of 150;000 met"' Who have already perished there ; and to inderrinA them for' the dangers which they run, and the D i tigues they. undergo; they have neither glory 11° booty to expert, as in other wars; they know ala i Spain is so much exhausted, that the ColleelorS the South of France convey to Bayonne. or PerpiSl nan every thing for the use of the French army 41 Spain, and that this war has already cost Buoiii parte 300 millions of livres. From the state of public mind in France, we do riot pretend to iuid any immediate menace to the authority of Buon' parte. The sufferiugs of the French are don htleSs greab but the people are not united. They call to :Mind t most striking horrors of the Revolution, which WO conduaed them to a base and servile submissiolj they du not see distinetly to what a change wool° lead, and all th.: youth are in arms. Besides, soli fishness, corruption, and an internal consci - ousnd of crime, unite and attach to the Usurper a nutnV of individuals. On the other hand, the incredibl ° quantity of places in every department dra\vs to side many, who, amidst the several shipwrecks il l fortune, have no other means of existence.; all tl l ° expedient; suggested by cunning are set-.to work to augment the number, of his partisans, and an police, backed by an army of Gens d'armts, key those.in awe who are not gained over. However, in spite of all these favourable circutir stances, from which the Impostor knows how t 0 draw the full advantage, he would still appear t ° think, that his despotism, and the patience o f 10 eople, have reached their last limits ; .that. twenti years of a revolutionary system .have exhausted tb ° resources of France in men and money, And thO i some interval of repose is necessary, betbreithe at' tempt to put the finithing hand to his gilantic 111 consequence, he still attempts, - wan prudence , to conceal from the French the extent of „their sa' crifices. He bolrows and applies tu them the affec' tionate expressions of our illustrious Qu een yizai both to her free people, and attempts to calfn ad irritated spirits by making proposals of peace to thi° country, in spite of his resentment against England', a resentment which he has so loudly and so lateill declared. Elizabeth, in her speech to Parliament, the 30i 11 November, 1601, said—" And though you have had, and may have, upon tills throne Princes mote powerful and wiser than myself, you never had/ and never will have one who loves you more." .YIIIY Ai f•Z ORAVESEND, JANTJAIIY Arrived—the Brown, Alexander, from Quebec; and tb 4 Ocean, Greeves, from Cadiz. Sailed—the Royal Jubilee, Norris; for Malta. BIR7 On the 4th inst. at Winchelsea, the Lady of Lieutenant' Colonel Christie, of the Royal Veterans, of a Son. On Friday last, at Leith Fort, the Lady of Brigadier-CV neral Laze, of a Daughter. On Saturday last, at Warrington, the Lady of Capt. Will' man, of the 9th Foot, of a Son. On the 9th inst. at Exeter,. the Lady of Maj , ;r Orde, Light Dragoons, of a Son. - On Tuesday, at his house in the Polygsn, Southampton the 'Lady of Spurgeon l'arrer, 13::q. of a S on and Heir. - On Wednesday, at his house in Harlcy-sti ea, the Lady of Colonel Agnew, of a Daughter. The same day, at Lord OssuistOn's house in Charler.stree:, the Right Hon. Lady Ossulston, of a Son - and Heir. MARRIED. On Saturday last, at St. Mary, New:ngion, Surrey, 0 Theakston, of Christ Church, Surrey, Solicitor, to Hariid! Holdsworth, only daughter of Thomas Holdsworth , Esq. Walworth. On Tuesday last, at Shoreditch Church, Mr. lohn Scog , ing, of Worship-street, to Miss Harriot Stucker, of the saute place. On the trlt inst. Captain Wall, of the 49th Regiment, OF Miss Bailey, of Golder's-hill, On Thursday last, Mr. William Leader, of London, Mer chant, to Elizabeth, second daughter of Samuel NewirJulcit Esq. of Sheffield. Yesterday. at St; Mary-le-bonne Church, Joseph Miilet, Esq. to Elizabeth, second daughter of the late john atilt., Esq. of Southampton. The sarite day, at `llorpscy Church, John Smith Wright►, Esq. o %VAlford, Nottingham, to Miss Gray, daughter ul Edward Cray, Esq. of Harringay-kiouse„ Middlesex. .111‘1131 • N TF , S TH After whit Sir Tin Six Boxes 7, U. hailer The Dou beln at kit 1 1,wilted On Mon t be KA A 11 , .v Fala:j 111 rehears:•. mier the C ranted ,THEI 12 AP Perform (I 3 InAaIJ Atter wL The Sis' Caller) 2 Price bpi. The re ceired b Thufstia, On i\l tairce!'s : al;ce on VLlch itt_diuter t SOCIE . PER 11EN vil I)isch: Dc! Fat - 4u 4tre.et Cock: idae, doitoi 7 by th( the Sc. ~.. Ti oN G Itl ;I'll, eta port... S ; %,' t )